3 "But I will harden Pharaoh's heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt . 4 "When Pharaoh does not listen to you, then I will lay My hand on Egypt and bring out My hosts , My people the sons of Israel , from the land of Egypt by great judgments . 5 " The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord , when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst ." 6 So Moses and Aaron did it; as the Lord commanded them, thus they did . 7 Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three , when they spoke to Pharaoh .
8 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron , saying , 9 "When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying , ' Work a miracle ,' then you shall say to Aaron , ' Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh , that it may become a serpent .' " 10 So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh , and thus they did just as the Lord had commanded ; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants , and it became a serpent . 11 Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers , and they also , the magicians of Egypt , did the same with their secret arts . 12 For each one threw down his staff and they turned into serpents . But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Exodus 7:3-12
Commentary on Exodus 7:1-7
(Read Exodus 7:1-7)
God glorifies himself. He makes people know that he is Jehovah. Israel is made to know it by the performance of his promises to them, and the Egyptians by the pouring out of his wrath upon them. Moses, as the ambassador of Jehovah, speaking in his name, laid commands upon Pharaoh, denounced threatenings against him, and called for judgments upon him. Pharaoh, proud and great as he was, could not resist. Moses stood not in awe of Pharaoh, but made him tremble. This seems to be meant in the words, Thou shalt be a god unto Pharaoh. At length Moses is delivered from his fears. He makes no more objections, but, being strengthened in faith, goes about his work with courage, and proceeds in it with perseverance.
Commentary on Exodus 7:8-13
(Read Exodus 7:8-13)
What men dislike, because it opposes their pride and lusts, they will not be convinced of; but it is easy to cause them to believe things they wish to be true. God always sends with his word full proofs of its Divine authority; but when men are bent to disobey, and willing to object, he often permits a snare to be laid wherein they are entangled. The magicians were cheats, trying to copy the real miracles of Moses by secret sleights or jugglings, which to a small extent they succeeded in doing, so as to deceive the bystanders, but they were at length obliged to confess they could not any longer imitate the effects of Divine power. None assist more in the destruction of sinners, than such as resist the truth by amusing men with a counterfeit resemblance of it. Satan is most to be dreaded when transformed into an angel of light.